Automatic control system

ABSTRACT

An internal combustion engine drives a reciprocating compressor installed with various flow control valves in a gas pipeline. A pneumatic system using logic elements and control boards controls the starting, running and stopping of the engine and compressor and the working of the valves either from a point at the site or from a remote point. There are several choices of the relative amount of control by an attendant or automatically and including automatic imposition of load and response to variations in load and also automatic response to anomalous or dangerous conditions.

United States Patent Bacchi Apr. 1, 1975 [54] AUTOMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM 3,659,566 5/1972 Zucca 123/41 R Inventor: y M. Bacchi, Oakland Calif 3,664,123 5/1972 Zucca l23/l79 F [73] Assignee: De Lavel Turbine California, I nc., Primary ExaminerLaurence M. Goodridge Oakland, Calif. Assistant ExaminerCort Flint [22] Filed: Oct. 10, 1972 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lothrop & West 1 1 pp 9191295367 57 ABSTRACT Related US. Application Data An internal combustion engine drives a reciprocating [62] Division f scr 67540 Aug 1970 PM compressor installed with various flow control valves 3 753 2 in a gas pipeline. A pneumatic system using logic elements and control boards controls the starting, run- 52 us. 01 123/179 F, 123/41 g and pp of the engine and compressor and [51] Int. Cl. F0li 13/02 the Working of the Valves either from a Point at the [58] Field of Search 123/179, 41 site or from a remote P h There are Several Choices of the relative amount of control by an attendant or [56 References Ci automatically and including automatic imposition of UNITED STATES PATENTS load and response to variation in load and also autod 3,282,259 11/1966 Moor 123/41 R mane response to anomalous or angerous condmons 3,307,349 3/1967 Brelen 123/179 F 4 Claims, 60 Drawing Figures In Jam? PATENTED 9 5 sum 01% 37 Q N\ Q\ N m w a N .QME whim #Qkm .Qmim \NQ .Rwkm KN? bank .m m m kwmlw hm twain kw) kmmtm 7,874,356 SHEET lSGF 37 jar-15mm APR 119? SHEET 168F137 FATENTED APR 1 19. 5

sum 170F 37 FEJENTED APR 

1. An automatic control system for an internal combustion engine comprising a starting gas valve, means for cranking the engine, means for supplying spark ignition to the engine, means responsive to engine idle speed, a pneumatic control board having inlet ports and outlet ports connected by ducts, pneumatic logic elements on said board and interposed in said ducts, means including pneumatic connections to said control board for latching said cranking means on and for energizing said spark supplying means, means including pneumatic connections to said control board for opening said starting gas valve, and means including pneumatic connections to said control board for unlatching said cranking means in response to said idle speed responsive means when said engine runs at a predetermined idle speed.
 2. An automatic control system as in claim 1 including means responsive to the rotation of said engine for generating a number of pneumatic pulses, and means responsive to said pulses for energizing said means for supplying spark ignition.
 3. An automatic control system as in claim 1 including means for determining the presence of spark ignition, and a pneumatic and-gate controlled by both said spark supplying means and said determining means for opening said starting gas valve.
 4. An automatic control system as in claim 1 including a run-gas valve, and means for opening said run-gas valve when said stopping means stops the operation of said control board. 